Managing Organic Matter in Tropical Soils: Scope and Limitations: Proceedings of a Workshop organized by the Center for Development Research at the University of Bonn (ZEF Bonn) - Germany, 7-10 June, 1999

Soil organic matter is a reservoir for plant nutrients, provides water-holding capacity, stabilizes soil structure against compaction and erosion, and thus determines soil productivity. All agriculture to some degree depends on soil organic matter. It has long been known that soil organic matter declines when land is taken into cultivation, and that the productivity of new agricultural land is governed by fertility contributions from decomposing natural organic matter. The expansion of agri...